How COVID-19 may change the legal profession.

COVID-19 has impacted all aspects of our lives and as we become accustomed to a post-pandemic normal, the various ways in which the legal profession has and may continue to change should be acknowledged.

Working from home will become the new norm:

Just as students have had to adapt to remote learning from home (actually making us more resilient and adaptable to the workplace) those working in the legal profession have had to adapt to working from home. Consequently, many firms have started rethinking how they should utilise their office space in a post-pandemic world and as more realise that staff can be just as productive at home, we’re likely to see a different working environment to that seen previously as more firms start adopting a more hybrid way of working. The long days of working in an office and the daily commute are likely to become a thing of the past, with staff only going into the office for important meetings and conferences and this is likely the approach in which training contracts and vacation schemes will be offered and conducted too. Will this mean that more people will be offered vacation schemes as firms are able to accommodate more people if they’re home? Also, this flexible way of working is likely to advantage working parents as firms start adopting initiatives and work practices which cater to supporting working parents, potentially making the legal profession more accessible.

Additionally, this trend of working from home means that firms will need to be innovative and come up new ways in which to keep in more frequent contact with their clients i.e having meetings conducted via zoom and emails. Further, as networking events will likely become a thing of the past, it makes it harder for firms to attract new contacts so as to ensure its longevity and sustainability and as someone who holds an executive position in a society at university, I’ve noticed how much of a challenge this can be. Therefore, firms will have to become innovative and utilise their social media more so as to increase their publicity.

Remote Hearings:

From the beginning of the pandemic, virtual hearings have become the new norm, and this has had its various advantages and disadvantages. For instance, remote hearings have enabled victims of crimes to give evidence from the comfort of their own home which has helped with their anxiety and has saved individuals transport costs for those who aren’t as fortunate and don’t live in areas which have a court nearby. However, difficulties in client-solicitor communication have become apparent, so the technicalities of such issues will have to resolved should remote hearings become more prevalent post-pandemic. Further, should courts adopt a hybrid approach where cases are heard both in-person and virtually, then this may help in dealing with the backlog of cases which Nightingale Courts may help facilitate on a larger scale.

However, we mustn’t forget that those essential to the running of the justice system (barristers, solicitors in some areas of law, ushers, clerks, court security and cleaners) have heard cases in-person throughout, often in small and poorly ventilated courts which aren’t COVID-secure. What courts adopt a permanent cap on how many can attend court at any given time? Will there be a revamp of some court buildings to make them bigger and better ventilated? What are the financial implications of such renovations? Will some Nightingale Courts become permanent since they’re likely to be bigger in size?

Some areas may see an intensified workload:

All aspects of our lives have been impacted by this pandemic, and this will obviously have a knock-on effect on the workload of some legal sectors. For instance, these lockdowns have seen many married couples re-evaluate their relationships so family lawyers will need to help facilitate these increase in divorces and sort out any issues which may arise out of them such as financial settlements and child custody issues. Additionally, as COVID-19 has reiterated the unpredictable nature of life, there was an increase in people drafting up wills with lawyers’ aid so their workload in this area has increased too. Further, as more adopt working from home, workplace disputes such as how many hours employees are expected to work will likely arise, meaning employment law becomes more significant.

Anyhow, this is my take on how the legal profession has changed and may continue to do so following COVID-19, which I hope you’ve found enlightening to read.

DelveIntoLaw.